


Somebody For You

by Lumieerie



Category: The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards
Genre: Addam gives good advice, Anxiety, Asexual Character, Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Max’s aspect allows him to see the visible representation of the talla and companion bonds, Red String of Fate, Talla bond, Tickling, implied Rune/Addam, we all need an Addam in our lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24052516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumieerie/pseuds/Lumieerie
Summary: “I’m in trouble,” Max mutters, eyes glued on the string tied to his finger. The string is red, transparent, and it weaves along the wall, disappearing through the door. He knows where it leads, knows who is on the other end of the string, and the thought scares him. A mixture and anxiety and excitement is what keeps him from accepting the fact, however.Or, the fic where Max's aspect lets him see people's 'soul strings' and his leads to his best friend.
Relationships: Matthias Saint Valentine/Quinn Saint Nicholas
Comments: 17
Kudos: 28





	Somebody For You

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [Egg!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/egglorru/profile) and [Strumie!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrumiel/profile) for beta'ing for me, I would be lost without you two. 
> 
> Months ago I gave Max/Quinn the shipname 'hearteyes' as a light-hearted thing AND THEN KD MADE THEM CANON SO I FEEL VALIDATED, HERE YOU GO DARLINGS. I've been working on this for about a week but since he confirmed them w the most recent Tarot! Mini, I just had to allude to that and post it today!!

“I’m in trouble,” Max mutters, eyes glued on the string tied to his finger. The string is red, transparent, and it weaves along the wall, disappearing through the door. He knows where it leads, knows who is on the other end of the string, and the thought scares him. A mixture and anxiety and excitement is what keeps him from accepting the fact, however. 

His aspect awakened a month ago in the midst of battle. One second he was telling Rune and Brand where to station the troops, having a knack for tactics and strategy, and a second later when he blinked, he suddenly saw invisible threads of connection. He saw Brand and Rune’s light blue companion bond as well as Rune’s red talla string connecting him to someone out of sight. Addam, Max had known instantly. 

Then the next day he’d noticed his own red string. Transparent and untouchable, it appeared abruptly, wrapped around his ring finger and leading far out the window of his room in Half House. He’d wanted to spend the day chasing it, excited and concerned at the same time as questions ran amuck in his head. What if his talla was a stranger? What if the stranger was rude and obtrusive? What if it was someone he knew like a friend he lost when the Heart Throne fell? Rune had distracted him with a mission that day. 

A week ago, they had moved to the Sun Estate and Max noticed his red string brighter than before, and smaller too. It had taken him only five minutes to finish unpacking his room before he searched the grounds for the person on the end of his string. While Rune, Addam, and Brand prepared for a sort of house-warming celebration, Max had found Anna, Corbie, even Layne and Queenie, just outside on the wrap-around patio conversing. And of course, he had found the one who was fated to be his talla and his heart had stopped. 

Now, as he froze in place, Max blames his feelings on forbidden time magic. Heart pounding and threatening to break out of his chest, Max can’t bring himself to speak up about the issue with Quinn. 

“The Heart Throne has to have two rulers,” he mumbled to himself one morning. That had always been another reason for his grandmother, Elena, to sell him off. 

But for his talla to be someone he actually likes well enough to get to know and learn to understand? Someone who was what Max considers the embodiment of ‘the calm before the storm.’ The kindest soul with cowlicked hair and alluring burgundy eyes that saw time in and of itself? The only individual that Max knew with freckles on his shoulders and cheeks that weren’t noticeable unless one was up close and personal with him?

“Quinn is my talla,” he whispers to the string as if it could talk back. “Quinn Saint Nicholas is my talla!” It’s almost a relief to speak it out loud. Almost. His mind quickly supplies him with second guesses. 

Quinn’s my best friend! My confidant and partner-in-crime whenever we get into trouble! His thoughts race, becoming a labyrinth of disbelief. He remembers telling Brand, Addam, and Rune that he would protect Quinn on the battlefield if anything happened, but wouldn’t that be grounds for a companion bond instead of a talla bond? Evidently not. 

Tallas. On one hand, he told himself it made him happy. One the other, terror overcame him at the idea of Lady Justice finding out. How would she take the news? Would she be apathetic because she rarely cared for Quinn or would she disapprove?

That thought alone has Max seeking out Addam’s help. 

“Talla bonds are seldom but beautiful, Max,” Addam explains with a soft expression after Max finishes rambling. “You’re already a part of our family, that will not change,” he adds after a second. He’s watching Max carefully, gauging his reactions. 

“I know,” Max says, “but isn’t it terrifying, too? What if Quinn hates me because of this, or what if everything changes and we don’t know how to handle it-” 

Addam cut him short with a shake of the head, “Are you troubled because you think Quinn doesn’t feel the same or are you troubled because you fear that, with this revelation, you will have to reclaim the Heart Throne?” 

“What,” Max pales at the thought. “Ascend? I didn’t even think of that,” but now he was thinking about it. “I have my aspect and having a talla means we’re a pair and the throne is ruled by two people- but neither of us is twenty-one so we should be fine, yes? Oh but what if Quinn doesn’t want to rule a court; do I even want to rule a court?” He starts pacing the room, murmuring to himself. _I can’t do that to Quinn_ , he chides himself for even thinking Quinn could rule the Heart Throne with him. 

“Breathe Max,” Addam startles him from his thoughts, pressing a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he apologizes. 

“I don’t want to ascend,” his voice is a shadow in the air, so quiet that Addam strains himself to hear Max’s voice properly. 

“You won’t ever have to do that unless you want to.” Slowly, Addam’s arms wrap around Max’s shoulders and he hugs him close. “Take a moment to think to yourself: what will make you happy and do you want this? The talla bond is patient and can wait as long as you need, so take your time.” A swift pause, then, “and talk to Quinn about this. He might surprise you.” 

Max sniffles, finally aware that his nose was running. “Thank you, Addam.” Then Max pulls away from the hug, wiping at the tears that threaten to fall. “Will do,” he says before he’s excusing himself and going back upstairs to compose himself. 

It’s been an hour, he thinks while brushing his hair. Now he felt more in control of his emotions, though his eyes keep traveling to the red talla bond leading him out of the room. All he has to do is exit the room, find Quinn, and talk. Easy! Simple! Not a problem! Except that his nerves refuse to relax. 

_There is a chance that he already knows,_ his mind offers. _There’s also a chance that he doesn’t,_ it retaliates in full force. 

Suddenly feeling sick, Max groans loudly and hides his face in his hands. His negative thoughts pool in the pit of his stomach, threatening to come out and it takes everything in him to convince himself he’s not dying. 

Then his phone vibrates. 

He jumps, glancing around with caution before finally acknowledging it’s a text message and not something else. Max blinks at the text from Quinn. The coincidence isn’t lost to him, but he calms considerably when the words “Chocolate Chip or Sugar Cookie?” flash across his screen. 

That is normal enough. Sometimes they sneak sweets from the kitchen and eat them in Max’s room, hidden from the rest of the Sun Estate. Most times they invite Anna for a fun-filled movie night, other times it’s just the two of them, lost in their own little world. Max admits he loves it, but only in secret when no one can hear him admit it. There’s not a day where he doesn’t enjoy spending time with his best friends. 

Thinking about that, Max decides that, regardless of stringed-fate or not, things would be okay. 

After replying to Quinn, Max exhales. He sat on his bed, recalling Addam’s earlier questions. Did he want this? He’s not sure yet- Quinn’s his best friend, first and foremost, and he was still afraid of the bond changing things. What would make him happy? That was obvious! Standing with Quinn through battles, both mental and physical, and just sharing space with him would make Max happy. 

Talla bonds aren’t strictly romantic, he reminds himself. He’s read in various books that the talla bond forms between anyone ranging from enemies to strangers. Maybe his and Quinn's talla bond was a sort of level-up from the companion bond. Is that possible? 

“My feelings for Quinn are a little more than platonic, I think,” he says out loud to an invisible audience. “I just need to figure out what to do now,” he continues, voice going quieter as the words come out. 

Five minutes later, Quinn knocks on his door, asking him to open up. 

Max pretends his heart hammers only because he moves too quickly to open the door. He smiles at Quinn, taking in his cowlicked, sandy-blond hair and his expectant burgundy eyes. “What’s the occasion,” he teases. 

Quinn blinks at him as though Max was confusing him. Then he nods to himself, “Sometimes you need a distraction from your thoughts or else you have a meltdown. Though I could be a day early; but this is also the only day there are _both_ Chocolate Chip and Sugar cookies in the kitchen so…” He stops off, eyes widening, “Max, you’re shaking.”

_I’m shaking?_ Max lets out a nervous laugh, anxiety renewing within him and grasping at his sides. Shaking his head, Max took the basket of cookies out of Quinn’s hands and then put them on a nearby table. “Sorry,” he says. “It’s been a long day and I didn’t even stop to think you’d see it.”

“See _it_? Max, I didn’t see anything other than you needed some comforting. There’s always this wall of fog that shows up when I try to figure out what’s bothering you- sorry, I don’t mean to pry- all I learn is that you need a distraction from it and sometimes you tell me, sometimes you don’t,” Quinn explains quickly. “Whatever _it_ is, I know that you feel better after I give you sweets.” 

A wave of appreciation and fondness spreads through Max at that, calming his nerves for a fraction. “That makes me sound like I’m some sort of sweets hoarder,” he snorts, giving Quinn a soft look. 

Quinn’s smile curls wider, “You get it from Rune. Brand always gets mad but all it takes to make him relent are puppy dog eyes like this,” he demonstrates a look for Max. “Works every time.” That pulls a laugh out of Max. 

Just like that, things calm again and they fall into their regular habit of movies and sweets and chatter. 

Sharing an interest in James Bond has Max and Quinn rewatching Skyfall for the fiftieth time that month, bickering and pointing out the same things they always did. They quote lines and laugh every time Bond does something absurd. “I wonder if we can get Brand to do that in real life,” Max ponders at some point, making Quinn fall into a fit of giggles. 

“Hey Q,” Max begins once the end credits roll, pulling Quinn’s attention away from the copy of Spectre he’s about to put in the DVD player. “Do you really not mind whether I tell you or not? About the thing bothering me, I mean,” a flush dawns his cheeks as he speaks. Quinn narrows his eyes and Max shies away. 

Then Quinn shrugs. “It worries me but you always feel better after I get you sweets. Whatever it is, it never ends our friendship.” He sets Spectre down and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, facing Max. “We overcome everything together, I think I can survive not knowing one thing about you.” Then he presses a finger to his chin, “Unless it’s about the ferret.” Quinn cracks a grin when Max tosses a pillow at him. “See, you always feel better after we talk!” 

The realization that Quinn was right overwhelms Max. No matter what, they’re friends at the end of the day. The words consume him for a moment before he closes his eyes, trying to stop himself from tearing up. 

Max moves so he’s sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Quinn. “My aspect lets me see companion and talla bonds,” he admits. “They are these little strings that connect people and one day I noticed that I have a talla bond with someone. I’ve talked myself into accepting it, but I’m still really scared,” he keeps his gaze on the now blank tv screen, watching for any blurry reaction from Quinn. 

To fill the silence where Quinn didn’t speak, Max says, “It’s you.” The words, finally out in the open, pull at Max, invisible applause filling his thoughts. There’s a moment of relief, then because he wasn’t sure what else to say, he adds, “and even if we don’t acknowledge that we’re tallas, I think it might always be you.” 

A hand slides over his and Max looks down as Quinn links their fingers together. 

“Oh,” Quinn whispers. Then he turns his head and Max can see the pure relief in Quinn’s eyes. “Really,” he lights up with excitement. 

It catches Max off guard. “I didn’t think you would take it this well,” he confesses. 

When Quinn flushes, he averts his eyes, and Max suddenly wants those eyes back on him. “Addam used to tell me bedtime stories about talla bonds and how people met. He’d tell me that though they are rare, there’s hope we’ll each find one eventually. I always saw him finding Rune but I.. We- you.” He breaks off. Then he laughs, “ _It’s you,_ ” he repeats Max’s words back to him. 

He takes Max’s other hand and lifts both their hands up. “Can you see my bond? It is you, right?” A spark of curiosity slips into Quinn’s burgundy eyes and Max can’t help but laugh. 

Sure enough, a little red string flowed from Quinn’s hand to Max’s. “Yes it’s me. You’re not scared?”

“No!” Quinn looks anything but scared. He looks like he’s full of life and like he wants to stand up and dance. Instead, he sways his and Max’s hands together, a joyful noise escaping from his lips. “I’m proud of you Max. It must have taken a lot of time to think before you told me.”

“It did,” Max replies with red dusting his cheeks. _Quinn’s happy about this!_ He mentally congratulates himself for being so brave. 

For a few minutes, they just sit there staring at each others’ hands and talk about how Max came to his conclusion. Then Quinn clears his throat. “Can… Can I confess something too?” 

Max nods, knowing Quinn doesn’t need a verbal confirmation. He can feel the worry radiating off of Quinn, so he runs a thumb over the other’s hand. 

“I know at school our classmates come up to you and talk about _sex_ ,” he empathizes the word as though he was afraid to speak it. “And I know you think about that… but I _don’t_.” The excitement in Quinn’s eyes was slowly turning into uncertainty. “I know you would never expect me to do something like that, but I also know it’s something you want and that’s not something I can give you-”

Gently shaking his head, Max soothes a thumb across the back of Quinn’s hand again. “It’s okay, Q,” he promises. “Sex isn’t a necessity for me. Your sense of safety and comfortability are more important.” He eyes his and Quinn’s fingers, admiring the way their red strings meet and twine together. “One step at a time, alright? What do you see when it comes to us?” 

It takes Quinn a few minutes because he’s never had to think about them as tallas before. “It takes a while, but we always work something out.”

“Then that settles it- for now.” 

Quinn nods, “For now.” Then after a second passes, he blurts, “You’re really handsome, did you know that.” 

Max blinks. Then he takes his hands away from Quinn just so he can hide his face. “No, stop. You’re the only one I can’t handle that from.”

“Why not,” Quinn’s lips curl deviously. He reaches forward, intent on uncovering Max’s face. 

“Because,” Max flushes darker as he speaks, letting Quinn find him. “You’re who I want to hear it from and that makes it cheesy and stop laughing!” He can’t help himself when he pulls Quinn forward into a hug. 

Quinn laughs, shoulders vibrating as he shook his head against Max’s own shoulder. “Aren’t we tallas- doesn’t that mean I can call you handsome anytime I want?” His playful tone only grows when he starts to tickle Max, grinning when Max squeals. 

“Quinn,” Max breathes once Quinn relents from tickling him a few minutes later. He waits until Quinn’s looking at him then he shyly reaches for his hand again. “Can I kiss your hand? Or your cheek?” He leaves out the question of kissing Quinn’s lips. 

Then Quinn surprises him by kissing his hand and keeping eye contact. “Only if I can kiss you.” Quinn’s eyes glitter with endearment and Max never wants to leave this moment. 

It means a lot for Quinn to be the one to make the first move, so Max lets him. And when their lips touch it’s not sensual or passionate, it’s just them. It’s a promise to take things one step at a time and the admission that their hearts beat as one. 


End file.
